Having a famous relative has been interesting for Greg Baum.
Baum grew up very close to his grandfather, one of four sons of L. Frank Baum. Living in Chicago and visiting his grandparents often, Greg heard many stories about his great-grandfather.
"Best known for 'The Wizard of Oz,' there are actually more than 40 'Oz' stories. But, more importantly, the first major book great-grandfather wrote was 'Father Goose.' In order to get it published, he enlisted a famous illustrator, W.W. Denslow, who did great illustrations and in color. This had not been done for children's books. Publishers still refused because of the cost, so Baum literally mortgaged everything to pay for the plates. Had 'Father Goose' not been successful, there would not have been an 'Oz,'" said Greg.
After his success, Frank put a wood carving of a goose he made on the door of his Ozcot Estate in California. Greg and his three brothers share the carving as Greg had it on his dorm room door in college.Greg graduated valedictorian from the previous all-girls Columbia College in Missouri. After McGill University, studying pre-law, Greg began law school at John Marshall. However, halfway through, he said his right brain kicked in and he went to his true calling in the music field. Greg is now a senior sales engineer for Fort Wayne-based Sweetwater Music Instruments and Pro Audio.
Greg has three grown sons in Kansas. His wife, Jan, works with Anthony Wayne Services. Moving to Fort Wayne from Kansas 10 years ago, Greg is happy he made the move.
L. Frank Baum was born in New York in 1866. Until 1888, he was an actor, playwright and an oil salesman. He was a Shakespeare scholar and wrote many off-Broadway plays, using characters he met along the way, such as a snake-oil salesman.
From 1888 to 1891, he was a frontier storekeeper and newspaper editor in Kansas.
"As a storekeeper, he was a failure," said Greg, "but his imagination kept his window display interesting. Using tin stove pieces and wood, he built a tin man to promote sales. This was 10 years before the tin man came alive with a wink."
From 1881 to 1900, Frank lived in Chicago where he wrote and was fascinated by the World's Fair.
The original "Oz" book was published in 1900, and two silent movies were made, one starring Oliver Hardy. Frank died in 1919. In 1939, the famous movie starring Judy Garland premiered.
Greg said, "L. Frank would have been highly pleased as the film began in black and white with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry sort of symbolizing the depression and the dust bowl times. The dark storm comes and Dorothy wakes up in a world of color. Literally, this was the first color on screen and people actually screamed when it happened."
Greg noted, "There are many inferences in the story, such as the soldiers guarding the Wicked Witch. This was said to have been influenced by Kaiser Wilhelm. Good defeating evil, phony and honest, and the idea that there is good in all of us, are all reflected in the story. And the main message is about family when Dorothy states, 'There's no place like home.'
"The famous Hotel Coronado in California still has all the woodcarvings done by L. Frank Baum. After moving to California to be closer to the film and writing industry, Baum was close friends with Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers. They met often in the hotel and had a 'brain trust,' and agreed that machines are made to serve man," said Greg.
"Great-grandmother Maude Baum and her mother, Matilda Gage, were interesting women and very active in the Woman's Suffrage Movement. They were always dragging Frank to meetings. I think this did have an influence on great-grandfather having Dorothy, a young woman, as the heroine in Oz."
Greg said there are several biographies of his great-grandfather, but he recommends "L. Frank Baum Creator of Oz" by Katharine M. Rogers, published by St. Martin's Press, New York.
Greg and Jan saw the June 15 performance of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Wagon Wheel Theatre. Greg said they were thrilled to see such a professional performance. The show runs at the Wagon Wheel through Saturday.
